Microsoft Entertainment Desktop 7000 review

When it comes to churning out decent keyboards, Microsoft still hold the aces

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Our Verdict

A superb mouse and keyboard combo, worth every penny of the asking price

For

Great build quality

Good value for money

Bluetooth connectivity

Lots of features

Microsoft has clearly thought about the needs of the media PC user when designing this set.

It's made sure that good quality and ease of use are placed alongside great build quality and a host of features. This makes the Microsoft Entertainment Desktop 7000 is one of the best media centre keyboard and mouse combinations around.

Extra track pad

While the keyboard and mouse are two separate entities, the keyboard has a small track pad on the right-hand side. This is ideal when you just need to browse to a window or open a file without the need to find the mouse.

The keyboard features every hot key imaginable, with options for Windows Media Center, the Start button, the Windows Vista Sidebar gadgets and a handy zoom button, which is immensely useful when using your PC on the TV.

Despite the range of controls the keyboard is still light, compact and manageable. The keyboard takes normal AAA batteries, but the mouse takes a special rechargeable battery that can be replenished by placing the mouse on a charging base, which is connected to the mains.

Bluetooth connectivity

The Entertainment Desktop 7000 uses Bluetooth rather than the standard infrared connectivity, which means that range is fantastic. Even if your media PC is placed behind your TV and underneath a maze of wires, the response of both keyboard and mouse is faultless.

The build quality of both items is what you might expect from a set that costs around £80, but if your media PC is the hub of home entertainment then the Entertainment Desktop 7000 is worth every penny.